Method for producing a three-dimensional object by means of mask exposure

ABSTRACT

The invention describes device and method for producing a three-dimensional object by solidifying a solidifiable material under an action of electromagnetic radiation by means of energy input via an imaging unit comprising a predetermined number of discrete imaging elements (pixels). The energy input related to a specific cross-sectional area of the three-dimensional object is controlled by exposure by means of multiple successive raster masks (bitmaps; e.g. bitmap  1  and bitmap  2  and possibly additional ones). The imaging unit is suitably controllable such that at least two masks can be generated, including a first overall mask covering the cross-sectional area (bitmap  1 ; with pixel-specific area elements exposing in white light) and a partial mask (bitmap  2 ; in which only a fraction of the area elements are exposed pixel-specifically with white light) within the overall mask. A voxel matrix may be formed. A hardness depth per voxel (volume pixel) can be specifically and precisely influenced in the solidifyable material.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/796,745, filed on Apr. 26, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,894,921, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/796,160, filed on Apr. 28, 2006, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a device and a method for producing a three-dimensional object by solidification of a solidifiable material under the action of electromagnetic radiation by means of energy input via an imaging unit comprising a specific number of discrete imaging elements (pixels). In particular, this invention relates to devices and methods in which the solidification of the material is based on the exposure by means of a raster mask, with the smallest physical resolution in the mask given by the size of a pixel and the Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) technology being applied for the imaging unit.

BACKGROUND ART

The literature specifies highly varying methods for the construction of three-dimensional objects of “light-hardening” photopolymers, cf. “Automated Fabrication—Improving Productivity in Manufacturing” by Marshall Burns, 1993 (ISBN 0-13-119462-3).

Known possibilities are, inter alia, the exposure by

-   a) multimedia projector -   b) LC display (reflexive, transmissive) -   c) LED or laser diode line (which is moved over an area orthogonally     to the line) -   d) light valve technology (MEMS).

These methods are described in the following patents:

-   US Patent US005247180A “Stereolithographic Apparatus and Method of     use” by Texas Instruments Inc., September 1993; -   US Patent US005980813A “Rapid Prototyping using multiple materials”     by SRI International, November 1999; -   Utility model publication DE G 93 19 405.6 “Device for the     production of a three-dimensional object (model) according to the     principle of photo solidification” by the Research Center     Informatics at the University of Karlsruhe, December 1993; -   According to a similar method, the utility model publication DE 299     11 122 U1 “Device for producing a three-dimensional object”,     DeltaMed inter alia, June 1999 describes an application for the     generation of micro-technical, three-dimensional components.

EP 1250997A (=US2002155189A) “Device for producing a three-dimensional object” by Envision Technologies GmbH, April 2002.

German Patent DE69909136T “Rapid Prototyping Device and Rapid Prototyping Method”, July 2003 (equivalent: European Patent EP 1156922 “Rapid Prototyping Apparatus and Method of Rapid Prototyping”, August 2003) of DICON AS Lystrup, Denmark.

WO 01/00390 A by HAP, Sitec Industrietechnologie and DELTAMED Medizinprodukte GmbH.

WO 2005/110722 A of Envisiontec GmbH.

With laser-based systems for photo-polymerization, the light output in the exposure point is provided by the energy setting of the laser beam, whereby the hardening depth of the photopolymer can be controlled in that point. To selectively harden a corresponding layer, the laser beam is scanned over the cross-sectional surface to be correspondingly hardened. The contours of the cross-sectional surface to be hardened can be scanned by the laser beam as a curve.

With systems for photo-polymerization based on mask projection by means of projection systems with the SLM technology, the advantage is that an entire cross-sectional area can be exposed at once. The light areas of the projected raster image harden the photopolymer voxel by voxel.

The disadvantage in projection systems with SLM technology is that the light output distribution over the image surface can be very inhomogeneous (up to 50% absolute), depending on

-   -   a) the light source used;     -   b) the optical system for coupling the light energy to the SLM;         and     -   c) by the vignetting of the projection optics.

The change of the properties of the light source over the service life will result in a variable error and thus in a changing homogeneity distribution. Moreover, a change of the light intensity of the light source does not result in a selective change as with a laser but would affect the entire projection image.

A constant error is concerned in case of homogeneity deviations caused by the optical system for coupling the light energy to the SLM and the projection optics.

The contours of the cross-sectional surface to be hardened can only be presented in rasters; the resolution depends on the number of image points/pixels and on the size of the projected image.

Moreover, the light intensity varies depending on the size of the exposed surface structure (higher light intensity with larger, contiguous surfaces; lower light intensity with smaller, filigree surface structures).

With the above mentioned WO 01/00390 A, the intensity of beams is controlled by controlling the permeability of the mask, wherein the intensity may be controlled via the selection of gray levels of a transmission LCD.

In WO 2005/110722 A, a multiple exposure is carried out on the subpixel level per layer for improving the resolution along the outside and inside contours of the cross-sectional areas of the object to be generated, said exposure consisting of a sequence of a plurality of images offset on the subpixel level in the image/building plane, wherein a separate mask/bitmap is generated for every offset image.

Neither WO 01/00390 A nor WO 2005/110722 show how the resolution and the fine adjustment in the image plane can be improved and how native inhomogeneities of the light source can be balanced better.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to improve device and method for the production of a three-dimensional object by solidification of a material solidifiable under the action of electromagnetic radiation, by means of energy input via an imaging unit comprising a prescribed number of discrete imaging elements (pixels) so that a higher precision, higher resolution and fine adjustment and/or a higher homogeneity of the system will be realized.

SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM

According to the present invention, a device for producing a three-dimensional object is provided, the device comprising: an imaging unit comprising a predetermined number of discrete imaging elements (pixels) for energy input capable of solidifying a solidifyable material under an action of electromagnetic radiation; a computer unit, an IC and/or a software implementation; wherein the computer unit, the IC and/or the software implementation respectively has the ability of controlling the energy input with respect to a cross-sectional area of a three-dimensional object to be produced by exposure by means of multiple successive raster masks (bitmaps).

According to the present invention, there is also provided a device for producing a three-dimensional object, the device comprising: raster imaging unit comprising a predetermined number of discrete imaging elements (pixels) arranged as point, line or matrix, wherein the imaging unit composes, from the pixels, an image related to a specific cross sectional area of the three-dimensional object to be produced and thus forms a raster mask (bitmap); wherein the imaging unit is designed to provide energy input for solidifying a solidifiable material under an action of electromagnetic radiation; wherein the imaging unit is arranged to be controlled such that at least two masks can be generated, including: a first overall mask (bitmap 1) covering the cross-sectional area; and a partial mask (bitmap 2) within the overall mask.

The present invention also provides a method for producing a three-dimensional object, the method comprising: providing an imaging unit comprising a predetermined number of discrete imaging elements (pixels); solidifying a solidifyable material in a matrix of volume pixels (voxels) under an action of electromagnetic radiation by means of energy input via the imaging unit; wherein an energy input, with respect to a cross-sectional area of the three-dimensional object to be produced, for the solidification of a volume pixel in the material to be hardened is controlled by a succession of multiple raster bitmaps to influence the hardening depth per voxel (volume pixel) in the solidifyable material.

The present invention further provides a method for producing a three-dimensional object, the method comprising: providing imaging unit comprising a predetermined number of discrete imaging elements (pixels); solidifying a solidifiable material under an action of electromagnetic radiation by means of energy input via the imaging unit; wherein the imaging unit composes, from the pixels, an image related to a cross-sectional area of the three-dimensional object and thus forms a raster mask (bitmap), wherein at least two masks are used per cross-sectional area of the three-dimensional object, including: a first overall mask (bitmap 1) covering the cross-sectional area; and a partial mask (bitmap 2) within the overall mask.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A to 1C schematically show an example of the principle of the invention with using multiple bitmaps relative to a specific cross-sectional area, wherein FIG. 1A illustratively exemplifies a support structure to be produced, and FIGS. 1B and 1C respectively show bitmaps 1 and 2 to be used for generating support structures;

FIGS. 2A to 2C schematically show an example of the principle of the invention with using multiple bitmaps relative to a specific cross-sectional area, wherein FIG. 2A illustratively exemplifies a structure to be produced comprising a relatively large cross-sectional area, and FIGS. 2B and 2C respectively show bitmaps 1 and 2 to be used per cross-sectional area;

FIGS. 3A and 3B schematically illustrate a basic concept according to another embodiment of the present invention wherein a specific, predetermined cross-sectional area is irradiated in partial steps by successive bitmap patterns, including a bitmap pattern 1 (FIG. 3A) and bitmap pattern 2 (FIG. 3B);

FIG. 4 schematically shows an advantageous exemplary embodiment for the stabilization of overhangs; and

FIGS. 5A to 5C show a further advantageous exemplary embodiment for producing complex voxel matrices (FIG. 5A) while using multiple bitmaps, including a bitmap 1 (FIG. 5B) and a bitmap 2 (FIG. 5C) per X, Y cross-sectional area, in order to obtain different hardening depths in Z direction for the voxel matrix.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS AND THE ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

The invention will be described in more detail on the basis of further exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached Figures; however, the invention is by no means limited to the described embodiments and examples and drawings but can instead comprise any variations and modifications within the scope of the claims.

Device and method according to the invention allow to remove the inhomogeneities in the image level and thus achieve higher precision, higher resolution and fine adjustment.

It is possible with the invention to control, on the one hand, the hardening depth of a voxel in the material to be hardened by means of light output control on a pixel level, and on the other hand, selective portions of the cross-sectional area to be hardened can be specifically overexposed per cross-sectional area without changing the properties of the imaging unit including the light source, by selectively exposing—per building plane/exposure cycle—through one or several successive digital masks (bitmaps), wherein furthermore the BLACK/WHITE raster (or, respectively, LIGHT/DARK raster and/or COLOR raster) within the mask may preferably be different from mask to mask and/or the exposure times per mask may be varied.

Due to the exposure by means of a raster mask, a matrix of so-called voxels (volume pixels) will be hardened in the material to be hardened, wherein the XY raster is predetermined by the size, number and arrangement of the pixels, and the height (=hardening depth) of the voxels in the material can be controlled by the multiple exposure. Furthermore, in preferred embodiments, the light intensity and/or the spectrum can be controlled specifically via the gray value and/or the color value (the latter through the wavelength or the wavelength range of the electromagnetic radiation) per pixel.

In accordance with the invention and depending on the requirement, special portions of the structure to be generated—i.e. only within the cross-sectional area to be hardened—can be identified and selected. In accordance with the invention, an energy input can be very efficiently influenced in relation to a specific cross-sectional area—defined by its contours—of the three-dimensional object. Most suitably, within a cross-sectional area defined by a first bitmap, a second bitmap—or further bitmaps—is generated, wherein the first and second (and possibly additional) bitmaps are superposed by multiple exposure. The second bitmap and the possibly additional bitmaps then respectively form partial masks within an overall mask formed by the first bitmap. In accordance with the invention, the terms “partial mask” and “within the overall mask” typically mean that—compared with the overall mask, relative to the same or a smaller cross-sectional area thereof—a smaller or several smaller area(s) is (are) exposed. Second and possibly additional bitmaps need not be identical but can be varied as desired within the overall mask of the first bitmap. Thus, the partial masks formed in addition to the overall mask can be identical or different, or different sub-partial masks can be formed.

According to the invention, a VOXEL matrix can be generated by multiple exposure within a predetermined, defined overall image area of the building plane. An offsetting of images in the building level per cross-sectional area can be advantageously dispensed with. By means of a voxel matrix formation, e.g. a supporting structure, overhangs and/or particularly small/filigree portions can be formed significantly finer and more accurately.

The sequence of use of the overall mask and the partial mask(s) can be randomly selected, i.e. “first”, “second” and “additional” bitmaps does not specify any time sequence but merely designates different bitmaps of the multiple mask exposure. Most suitably, however, the first bitmap is first used with the overall mask. The respective bitmaps can be generated via the corresponding software algorithms. Exposure times per overall mask and per partial mask can be additionally controlled independently from each other by an electromechanical shutter.

By means of the multiple mask exposure according to the invention, the hardening depth of every single voxel can be pixel-precisely controlled so that, overall, the quality of the constructed component with regard to surface quality, green compact hardness, accuracy in every detail, and tolerances can be improved, and the condition of necessary supporting structures can also be optimized.

The multiple mask exposure according to the invention also allows an “overexposure” in selected areas of the voxel matrix to be hardened which would not be possible via a mere gray value scaling within the bitmap since a gray value adjustment will principally eliminate light energy at least partially, which is basically undesirable. Yet, for further fine adjustment, it can be of particular advantage to perform gray value and/or color value adjustments within the first, the second, and/or the further bitmaps. Additional fine adjustment can be achieved thereby, while limiting simultaneously the number of bitmaps within the overall mask which would be necessary—without gray value and/or color value adjustment—for reaching an identical fine adjustment. The gray value and/or the color value adjustment can be done pixel-specific with individual pixels or a part of the pixels per bitmap or, respectively, partial bitmap.

A clever selection and sequence of masks for partial exposure within an exposure cycle per cross-sectional area, particular exposure strategies can be realized—e.g. for hardening of overhangs, overexposure of filigree structures and material accumulations, reduction of material shrinkage within a building plane, etc.

The generation of the further exposure masks will be technically preferably accomplished entirely by software, and it is thus very flexible and applicable for all mask projection systems based on SML technology.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, additional parameters can be stored and applied—by means of an additional gray value and/or color channel coding of the bitmap on a pixel level—which influence the hardening depth of the voxel in the hardenable material; this includes influencing

-   -   a) the light intensity by the brightness value (gray values from         white=255 to black=0), and     -   b) the spectrum (initiator and absorption behavior) through the         color information.

Due to the gray value and/or color channel coding of an individual pixel, it is possible to make a fine correction of the exposure parameters within the bitmap.

An additional control parameter is offered by an individual exposure time per bitmap which can be controlled by a shutter. Only when the digital image has been completely built up by the imaging unit, the shutter will be opened and subsequently closed again.

The principle of the present invention with respect to device and method is applicable to various types or manners of producing a three-dimensional object. The building or construction may be carried out in layers (layer-wise), however alternatively independently from layers. Other design options are possible. For example, the hardening process can be carried out continuously without layers; discontinuously (either with same or different or variable layer thicknesses); partially continuously and partially discontinuously (discontinuously either with same or different or variable layer thicknesses); or in a combination of various possibilities. The device and process according to the present invention is particularly suitable for building a three-dimensional object in a voxel matrix independent from layers.

Further, using multiple bitmaps, or the application of first and second or further rastered masks, per cross-sectional area may be used for one or more cross-sectional area(s) of the three-dimensional object to be produced.

EXAMPLES OF THE APPLICATION

Overexposure of Supporting Structures

As illustrated schematically in FIG. 1A, it is an important objective to minimize supporting structures 20 in general and in particular their contact points 21 to the constructed component 10. This can be done by the supporting structure 20 gaining—during the building process—a higher inherent strength due to a higher degree of polymerization, which in turn can be achieved by an overexposure by means of the application of the concept in accordance with the invention.

Based on the data structure, it is possible for respective cross-sectional areas within the entire component (in FIG. 1A in a perspective view schematically indicated by the upper cross-sectional surface)—to distinguish supporting structure data from component data and thus—only for the bitmap areas of the supporting structures 20 and/or selectively for the contact points 21—to generate an additional partial bitmap 2 within the overall bitmap 1 (covering the entire cross-sectional area), bitmap 2 being connected in series to the first bitmap 1 with a defined, i.e. identical or different exposure time in relation to the first mask exposure and being superposed on it to thus achieve an over/post-exposure only in the area of the supporting structures (FIGS. 1B and 1C).

Hardening Depth with Large Versus Filigree Cross-Sectional Area Structures/Overexposure of Filigree Structures

With larger structures, more light output per area will be available than with filigree structures; this phenomenon results in a different hardening in xy-expansion (beyond the contour) and z-expansion (depth) per cross-sectional area.

If, for example, a 10 mm×10 mm large area is exposed once, it will harden e.g. to a thickness of 130 μm; a structure of 2 mm×10 mm instead will harden only 100 μm with the same exposure time. If the component is now built e.g. in layers of 100 μm, it may happen that, in the filigree portion, the generated layers do not enter into sufficient chemical bonding due to overexposure (130 μm depth hardening up to 30% into the previous layer), that the layers will separate in this portion, and that the component is defective. This phenomenon is particularly critical with filigree supporting structures.

FIG. 2A shows schematically an example with a large cross-sectional area 31 and filigree cross-sectional areas 32, 33. The overall cross-sectional area for the component to be generated is indicated, in a perspective view, schematically in FIG. 2A by means of the upper cross-sectional area. Based on suitable algorithms, the structures of different area expansions 31 or, respectively, 32 and 33 are identified in the cross-sectional image, and one or multiple corresponding partial bitmap(s) 2, which lie within the overall bitmap 1 (covering the entire cross-sectional area) and superposing the latter, is (are) are generated for re-exposure of the filigree structures and provided with a corresponding exposure time. The structuring depth of the partial bitmaps will here be left to the operator.

Additionally, larger cross-sectional areas 31 can be allocated to suitable gray values precisely per pixel, whereas smaller cross-sectional areas 32, 33 are allocated to lower gray values or without gray value (i.e. white) precisely per pixel to obtain an even more uniform hardening depth (Z) and hardening expansion (XY) over the entire structure to be exposed. That is, larger structure areas are thereby darkened in accordance with their expansion.

Higher Green Compact Hardness or, Respectively, Overexposure of Massive Structures, or Higher Material Accumulations within One Component

With some components, there are volume portions with an accumulation of material whose wall thickness on the one hand exceeds the maximum possible hardening depth of the material in post-hardening or which are in a position within the component not reached by light energy or only to a limited extent in the post-hardening process.

Already during the generating process, such volume portions can achieve a higher green compact hardness by being specifically overexposed. This can be carried out by multiple exposure of cross-sectional areas. Alternatively or additionally, this can also be carried out by corresponding gray value allocation of the following cross-sectional areas, wherein in the latter case, the hardening depth in Z should exceed the current solidification several-fold.

Furthermore, the exposure times for the partial bitmaps—used for the post/overexposure of the selected area—can be successively increased, depending on the desired hardening depth.

Exposure Strategy for the Reduction of Shrinkage

Here, the basic idea illustrated schematically in FIGS. 3A and 3B is that a predetermined cross-sectional area to be hardened (represented here by area 60 as part of a dark hatched overall cross-sectional area) is not exposed and hardened as a whole and at once, but exposed and hardened by supplementary, successive bitmap patterns, including a bitmap 1 pattern and a bitmap 2 pattern in partial steps (FIGS. 3A and 3B). As shown in FIG. 3A, the bitmap pattern 1 particularly suitably comprises, in the radiated area, a grid structure 61 having appropriate thicknesses of the respective grid strands, while the bitmap pattern 2 according to FIG. 3B fills the gaps 62 of the radiated area. Thus, the material is allowed, after the first partial hardening due to the first bitmap pattern 1, to reflow into the “spaces” formed by the material shrinkage, in order to be then hardened by the supplementary bitmap pattern 2. The respective bitmap patterns are not limited to those shown here. Also, overlapping of radiated areas of the bitmap patterns may be provided.

Exposure Strategy for Overhangs

FIG. 4 shows schematically an advantageous exemplary embodiment for the stabilization of overhangs.

In order to be able to generate, at overhangs 41, a more stable solidification in the area of the overhang for a certain partial structure 40, e.g. the first 3 construction planes are at first left out in the overhang area in the exposure cycles so that corresponding solidifications are carried out only in the main component area 42. Only after that, the overhang area 41 will be exposed with multiple energy with the fourth exposure cycle. According to the invention, with the fourth exposure cycle, first it is exposed with the bitmap 1 exposing a total exposure area (i.e. main component area 40 and overhang areas 41 to the left and right thereof) with a predetermined exposure time t₁; and then, it is re-exposed with a partial bitmap 2 which only covers the overhang areas 41 left and right, with a longer exposure time t₂, e.g. 4 to 5 times the exposure time in comparison with the exposure time t₁ of bitmap 1 (see FIG. 4). Reference number 45 shows a carrier plate.

Formation of Complex Voxel Matrices by the Combination of Multiple Mask Exposure and Gray Value and/or Color Value Adjustment

Another advantageous exemplary embodiment by the formation of complex voxel matrices is shown by means of FIG. 5A to 5C. This is schematically explained only on a small partial area of 3×3 pixels; however, it is clear that the same principle can also be applied to other, especially larger areas with more pixels. To obtain the voxel matrix shown in FIG. 5A with three different hardening depths, a first exposure is carried out, relative to the cross-sectional area defined by x and y, by means of a mask generated with a first bitmap 1, wherein additional gray values are allocated to the two pixels for the lowest hardening depth (indicated in the Figure front left with reference sign 51), and white is allocated to the other pixels (no gray value; indicated in the Figure by reference sign 52). Then, relative to the same cross-sectional area defined by x and y, a second exposure is carried out through a partial mask generated with a second bitmap 2, wherein white is allocated to the two pixels for the highest hardening depth (no gray value; indicated in the Figure rear right, with reference sign 53), while the other pixels are entirely darkened (black; indicated by reference sign 54 in the Figure). As a result, a complex voxel matrix is obtained with only two exposure steps per cross-sectional area.

For all above described applications, fine adjustment within the partial bitmaps is possible through pixel-precise color channel coding, i.e. the bitmap mask/exposure mask can comprise, per pixel, additional black/white, gray value and/or color information by which the exposure intensity within the bitmap is controlled precisely per pixel. Moreover, in all applications, the exposure times per bitmap may be adjusted independent from each other so that an additional parameter is provided for the selective hardening depth of the voxel matrix.

There are no limits regarding the sequence and the design of the exposure patterns per overall mask and per partial mask of the multiple exposure according to the invention. Care should only be taken that, with each partial exposure, at least that energy will be reached which is necessary to start hardening the material or to harden it thoroughly.

The described exemplary embodiments can be randomly combined with each other. They are furthermore only exemplary and not understood as restricting by any means. Rather, they can be readily modified to realize the principle according to the invention by other embodiments. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for producing a three-dimensional object, comprising: supplying solidification energy to a portion of a solidifiable material corresponding to a cross-section of the three-dimensional object in accordance with a first bitmap mask; and supplying solidification energy to the portion of the solidifiable material corresponding to the cross-section of the three-dimensional object in accordance with a second bitmap mask, wherein the second bitmap mask is a partial mask within the first bitmap mask.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first bitmap mask and the second bitmap mask includes a plurality of locations each having an associated gray value or color value that defines the energy input for a corresponding one of the discrete imaging elements.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the three-dimensional object has a first region and a second region, the first region and the second region are complementary to one another, the first bitmap mask defines energy inputs sufficient to solidify the solidifiable material for each of the discrete imaging elements corresponding to the first region, and the second bitmap mask defines energy inputs sufficient to solidify the solidifiable material for each of the discrete imaging elements corresponding to the second region.
 4. A method for producing a three-dimensional object, comprising: supplying solidification energy to a portion of a solidifiable material corresponding to a cross-section of the three-dimensional object in accordance with a first bitmap mask; supplying solidification energy to the portion of the solidifiable material corresponding to the cross-section of the three-dimensional object in accordance with a second bitmap mask, wherein the cross-section of the three-dimensional object has a first region and a second region, the first bitmap mask defines energy inputs sufficient to solidify the solidifiable material for each of a plurality of discrete imaging elements corresponding to the first region and the second region and the second bitmap defines energy inputs sufficient to solidify the solidifiable material for each of the discrete imaging elements in the plurality of discrete imaging elements corresponding to the second region but not those corresponding to the first region.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first region has a first cross-sectional area, the second region has a second cross-sectional area, and the second cross-sectional area is less than the first cross-sectional area.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the multiple bitmap masks correspond to a first solidification depth for the first region and a second solidification depth for the second region, and the second solidification depth is greater than the first solidification depth.
 7. The method of claim 4, wherein the second region corresponds to an object overhang. 